Christmas presence

My lovely husband keeps asking me what I want for Christmas. I already circled the slippers in the Lands' End catalog, but I think he wants another answer. I told him I want a full day off, but that's not what he's looking for either. An esthetician appointment? No.

"What do you want for Christmas? What present?"

What present, indeed.

Here's what I want for Christmas:

• I want to see God. Not just "God in another human being's face", not a namaste moment. I want to see God ("and live", would be nice too).
• I want all the people who are grieving to get a break. There's so much grief around right now, and it hurts. A selfish request, but it's my present list, after all.
• I want to be fearless.
• I want to know whether God has a child for us in the plan. Either way is fine, but I'd like to know.
• I want the seven or eight children in our church who I really worry and pray about to find one good adult to guide and love them.
• I want the adults in our church whose pain is so buried that they're destroying themselves to sit down and dig -- and to let someone be with them in it. I want them to want healing.
• I want our country to gain some perspective and humility, and our President to listen to people who disagree with him.
• I want more time with my lovely husband.

I want Presence in the present.

But shoes are always good too.